The present invention relates to household cleaning compositions and, in particular, to household cleaning compositions in tableted form for use in cleaning glass and other hard surfaces.
Liquid and powdered products for cleaning glass and other hard surfaces are known in the art and are available in the marketplace. The liquid cleaning products generally contain water, thus making them heavy. Similarly, powdered products generally have a high-bulk capacity, which also results in a bulky product. Moreover, liquid and powdered cleaning products require a great deal of storage space.
Cleaning compositions in tablet form, like that of the present invention, have several advantages over such liquid and powdered products. Because they are compressed and contain no water, tablets are lightweight and have a low-bulk capacity. Their small size makes for more economical shipping and storage.
Surprisingly, it has been found that a household cleaning composition that effectively cleans glass and other hard surfaces can be prepared by combining an acidic component, a basic component and polyvinyl alcohol in a tablet. The polyvinyl alcohol replaces most of the surfactants found in other tableted cleaners. The polyvinyl alcohol also provides a reduction in surface tension, so as to allow for easier wiping, and stabilizes the tableted cleaner. The tableted cleaner of the present invention dissolves quickly, resulting in a product with little or no streaking.